This Desert Oasis is the Largest Expanse of Sand in the World

At more than 255,000 square miles, the Rub’ al Khali is a wilderness larger than France, but distinctly lacking anything that isn’t sand. In fact, it's the largest expanse of sand in the world, its sky-scraping dunes and otherworldly salt flats crossing borders into four countries: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.

"Rub' al Khali" means "the Empty Quarter," and indeed this has become a recognized term for the area, a desert second only in size to the Sahara. The friendliest and most accessible frontier of the Empty Quarter is only a two-hour drive from central Abu Dhabi, to the Liwa Oasis and the Anantara five-star resort, Qasr Al Sarab.

"Qasr Al Sarab" translates to "mirage palace," and its large size paired with relatively small number of guest rooms (from $300 per night) means privacy and quiet come standard. The 154 rooms and 42 multi-bedroom villas, the latter with their own pools and terraces, only opened in 2009 to become the flagship Anantara property in the Middle East.

Immensely photogenic (and Instagram-worthy), this exact location was chosen by Anantara for the resort due to its views of the dramatic dunes during the day and the starry expanse of sky unmarred by city lights at night. With no next-door neighbors aside from wild gazelles, the property is self-sustaining. It is as if the Qasr Al Sarab is a lonely island within the Empty Quarter’s sea of sand.